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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: content · arm · roll · rush · staff · key · straw · stem

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. key — for a lock
  5. stem — to come from
  6. staff — employees
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. content — the amount
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. key — in music
  14. staff — employees
  15. key — the most important part
  16. staff — a stick
  17. roll — a cake
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. content — happy
  20. rush — hurry
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. stem — a stem cell

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com